The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 535

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 535

A black shadow writhed like a swamp before transforming into human figures. It was the concealment technique of the Shadow assassins.

Raon observed the ten assassins gathered before the lake and clicked his tongue softly.

‘All of them are masters.’

Though the distance prevented me from sensing their auras, their concealment technique and movements revealed they were assassins of considerable skill.

‘The strongest ones yet.’

During the two days of waiting, I had observed Shadow assassins attempting to breach the factory multiple times, but these were the most formidable.

‘Then that means….’

Raon withdrew his gaze from the assassins moving toward the lake and turned his attention back toward the village.

‘Derus Robert will arrive soon.’

These assassins’ purpose was to draw attention. They were clearly meant to divert the Black Market Agents’ focus while Derus Robert thoroughly inspected the factory’s interior.

Raon twisted his lips as he gazed down at the factory.

‘Even now, he refuses to expose his own traces.’

Recalling that weasel’s face, my fists clenched with force.

‘But this time will be different.’

There are no traces of me within the Zombie Assassin Factory. A high-ranking mage had twisted the very flow of mana itself, so no matter how capable Derus Robert is, he will find no information inside.

‘He’ll think I’m toying with him.’

Derus Robert is a rational man, but once he reveals his true nature, his fury becomes unstoppable.
With the Zombie Assassin Factory destroyed and decades of effort and astronomical sums of money lost, even a man as composed as Derus Robert will have no choice but to unleash his rage.

‘I’ve made all the necessary preparations for this.’

While I couldn’t completely expose Derus Robert’s true identity, I had created a way to stop him and track his movements. If everything went according to plan, I might be able to uncover his real nature in a relatively short time.

‘Phew….’

As I was rechecking my plan and calming my mind, Wrath, who had been knocked unconscious by the rubbery taste of Nadin’s bread, slowly lifted his eyelids with great effort.

-Wa, he’s arrived.
‘What?’
-The one you’re looking for has come.

Wrath pointed at the factory with his round hand.

‘I didn’t sense anything.’
-That’s because he’s on a different level than you, and he’s even using concealment. To be honest, I almost missed him myself.

He furrowed his brow, saying the fellow was dangerous.

‘Has his combat power grown stronger?’

I furrowed my brow and turned my gaze toward the lake. The assassins who had been waiting deliberately made noise as they began entering the water.

‘Derus Robert is drawing attention so he can search the factory.’

Seeing the waiting assassins move, it seemed that Derus Robert had already entered the factory, just as Wrath said.

[Deputy Commander.]

I sent an aura message to Denzel, who was hiding nearby.

[He appears to have arrived.]

Denzel nodded in understanding and moved the Black Market Agents near the lake.
Following his orders, the Black Market Agents attacked the assassins entering the water, and combat erupted.

I left the lake to Denzel and continued to focus solely on the factory.

‘I must not let my guard down for even a moment.’

If I let an enraged Derus Robert slip away, countless people could die—I couldn’t afford to lower my guard for even a moment.
I activated the Ring of Fire to calm my mind and focused on sensing mana. I wove subtle aura through my hands and feet, ready to move at an instant’s notice.

As I slowly resonated the Ring of Fire to sharpen my concentration, a man in a black robe appeared before the factory.

‘What is this?’

I hadn’t sensed him at all. There was no flow of mana, no disturbance in the wind—he simply seemed to materialize from that very spot.

‘It’s him….’

The silhouette alone was unmistakable. Derus Robert had clearly inspected the factory and emerged.

I bit my lip and reached into my spatial pouch. My fingers found the artifact and signal flare I’d prepared, and I swallowed hard.

But Derus Robert didn’t move. He stood motionless, as if transformed to stone, barely seeming to breathe.

‘What in the world….’

Based on his temperament—like the explosion at sea before—Derus Robert should have lost all reason, destroyed the village, and slaughtered every Black Market Agent.
Yet he remained perfectly still, not even twitching a finger.

‘Could he have found my traces?’

No. That couldn’t be.

I’d already confirmed it with Wrath. There were no traces of my presence left inside.
All that remained were a few deliberate sword marks I’d carved as mockery.

‘What could he possibly be thinking?’

As I tried to suppress my racing heartbeat, Derus Robert lifted his head toward the sky. His eyes, hidden beneath something he wore, were revealed. Within those blue irises, something like crimson lava churned violently.
The eyes of the one writing something were revealed. Something like crimson lava was churning within those blue irises.

“It’s coming! It’s definitely com… huh?”

When I gripped the flare gun tightly in my hand, Derus Robert suddenly disappeared.

“Where did you go? Don’t tell me it’s the Lake?”

I rose to my feet, my gaze fixed upon the lake.
If Derus Robert targeted the people in the lake, they wouldn’t last even a second. I had to fire the signal flare to save the Black Market Agents.

-No need to fire that thing.

Just as I was about to launch the signal flare skyward, Wrath raised his hand.

-That bastard’s already gone.
‘What are you talking about?’
-It means that human has fled.

Wrath shook his head, insisting that Derus Robert had completely abandoned this area.

‘That doesn’t make sense….’

I examined the vicinity of the lake. The Shadow assassins had ceased their counterattack and focused entirely on escape.

If Derus Robert had been present, the assassins would never have retreated like this. They were fleeing because, as Wrath said, Derus Robert had vanished.

“Hah….”

I exhaled sharply, unable to contain myself.

‘That madman just left?’

Having observed Derus Robert for decades, I understood him well.
He was certainly composed, but when meticulously laid plans crumbled, his mind would short-circuit like a broken circuit board, and he would obliterate everything around him in blind rage. The fact that he simply departed without doing anything made no sense.

‘Could it be he wasn’t even angry?’

No, that wasn’t it. His eyes clearly burned with a fury so intense it was suffocating.

-That’s right.

Wrath nodded calmly.

-That bastard’s rage reached a level that could touch the True Demon King. Yet he endured it and withdrew.

He narrowed his eyes, gazing down at the space where Derus Robert had stood.

-That fellow has certainly grown since we last met at sea. Both in power and spirit.
“Sigh…”

I exhaled heavily and sank to the floor.

‘Is there no heaven?’

Hearing that the malevolent spirit who toyed with thousands—no, tens of thousands of lives had grown even stronger made my stomach churn with revulsion. It was enough to make me believe that no god existed in this world.

-If you truly wish to kill that wretch, surrender your body to me. I too find his actions utterly distasteful.

Wrath flicked his thick hand playfully.

-Not content with stealing your meals, he toys with lives themselves. I shall personally end him!

As he waved his fluffy tail mockingly, messages materialized before my eyes.

[You have successfully completed a perfect assassination.]
[All stats increase by 12 points.]
[The trait 【Ambush】 has increased in rank.]
[The trait 【Sanctity Blooming from Darkness】 has increased in rank.]

The rewards for assassinating the Necromancers and Shadow members at the Zombie Assassin Factory had finally arrived.

-Huh?

Wrath blinked as he read the messages.

-This… this can’t be right! Where in the world do they hand out rewards like this just for doing a decent assassination!

He cursed, saying I knew no moderation. But the messages were not yet finished.

[The target of the trait 【Envy】 has shifted from Sheryl to Aris Zigheart.]
[The growth of Spatial Sword accelerates.]

The second message concerned 【Envy】—or rather, 【Longing】—the target had changed from Sheryl to Aris.

-Why does this keep changing!
‘It must be because I’ve been wielding the Spatial Sword.’

When Lecia attempted to detonate all the Zombie Assassins at the end, the technique she used to inject holy power into their bodies was the Spatial Blade.

Since I had marveled at Aris Zigheart’s technique upon using the Spatial Blade in actual combat for the first time, my object of admiration had shifted from Sheryl to Aris Zigheart.

I smiled with satisfaction as I read the message.

‘This works out perfectly for me.’

I had nearly grasped the principles behind Sheryl’s dual-blade technique, leaving only mastery remaining.
If I could quickly learn Aris Zigheart’s Spatial Blade here, it would prove invaluable in future battles.

-Ughhhh….
‘Thank you, Wrath.’

I patted Wrath’s back as his jaw hung agape.

‘Thanks to you, I might reach that level sooner than expected.’
-Grrrrgh! Enough talk—prepare food! Speak forth the dishes the True Demon King desires!
‘If you spit it out, you won’t taste it.’
-That means eat it, you fool!

*

*

*

Demron Village, located in the Southwest Region of the Continent.

A man draped in a pitch-black robe like a shadow appeared before the modest village that sustained itself through herbal and fruit cultivation.

“Who goes there!”
“Remove your robe and identify yourself!”

Due to the late hour, the soldiers guarding the village entrance raised their polearms from atop the wooden palisade.

“…do it.”

The robed man uttered something in the faintest of whispers without even glancing at the soldiers atop the palisade.

“What are you talking about!”
“Take off your robe!”

The soldiers, sensing something amiss, leveled their spears, and another soldier beneath the iron fence rushed into the village to fetch the martial artists.

“….”

The man in the black robe slowly lifted his head. Within those strikingly beautiful blue eyes, an eerie flame flickered and danced.

“Ah….”
“Ugh….”

The moment the soldiers beheld those eyes, their spears slipped from their trembling hands. Only terror consumed their minds. Their bodies felt paralyzed, unable to move a single finger.

Then came the robed man’s voice.

“Consider yourselves unfortunate.”

With that chilling utterance, the iron fence crumbled to dust and vanished, and the bodies of the soldiers standing upon it disintegrated violently like autumn leaves.
Without even a scream, two lives dissolved into darkness.

“What’s happening!”
“An intruder! Ring the alarm bell!”

The village guards and martial artists came rushing forward, weapons drawn—swords and spears gripped tightly as they charged toward the robed man.

Shhhhwooosh!

The robed man did not even raise his hand. He simply walked forward. Each heavy footfall became a swamp of death, and the martial artists and soldiers who rushed at him were torn asunder without leaving even bone behind.

“Aaahhhhh!”
“Ahhh….”
“W-what is this… Gack!”

The militia members standing behind the soldiers watched their own bodies melt away like snow, their screams turning into streams of crimson blood.

“R-run!”
“Flee the village!”
“Don’t look back!”

The villagers recognized that the man in the Robert robes was a monster beyond their capacity to resist, and they scattered in all directions, urging each other to flee.

The man from Robert did not pursue the fleeing villagers. He simply walked through streets slick with blood, advancing toward the center of the village.

Uuuuuuung!

As he stretched his hand toward the night sky, a strange resonance enveloped the village.

“If I can just escape this place… ah.”
“Wait, please! I beg you….”
“Gaaahhh….”

Those attempting to flee over the Stone Wall trembled as they watched their own arms and legs torn away as if ground by saw teeth.
Before they could even scream in agony and terror, they crumbled to dust and dissolved.

Kuuuuuuung!

Demron Village, which had endured for over a century, vanished into dust in less than a minute.
It was as though not a divine being, but a malevolent god had brought down judgment upon innocent humans.

The man from Robert brushed dust from his hands. Despite having slain over a hundred humans, his leather gloves remained immaculate, unmarred by a single drop of blood.

As an eerie silence settled, undisturbed even by the wind, Kubara descended, her face concealed behind a mask and clad in black night garments.

“There are no pursuers.”

Kubara approached the man from Robert and bowed her head.

“All that remained in the factory was mockery.”
“Hmm….”

The man from Robert—Derus Robert—turned his gaze upon her with chilling coldness. Kubara’s shoulders trembled without her realizing it.

“They provoked me as though they knew me, knew my nature. As if demanding I display my power.”
“….”

Kubara swallowed hard, her eyes meeting Derus’s gaze. His words were true.
The Derus of old would have exploded on the spot, erased the village, and slaughtered the Black Market masters lurking in the surroundings.

Yet he had not fallen for the provocation, only to unleash his fury upon arriving here. It was far more terrifying than before.

“It’s not merely the Black Market. There’s definitely someone behind them. Someone who knows me.”

Derus Robert lifted his gaze toward the darkening sky. His eyes, cold as ice, glared at the heavens as his lips twisted into a grimace.

“Find them. Tear apart the Black Market if you must, but find whoever stands behind them.”
“…Understood.”

Kubara uttered the only answer she could give in this moment.

“And sever all connections between the factories in other locations and the Yuwhwa Merchant Group.”
“Why there as well…?”
“If the factory in Capoli has been exposed, that location is no longer safe. Move as quickly as possible.”
“Yes.”
“Handle the cleanup and return.”

Derus Robert entrusted the remaining tasks to Kubara and the Shadow operatives, then departed alone for Robert Territory.
As he drew closer to the family estate, the bone-chilling dread that had gripped him faded away, replaced by the gentle and serene atmosphere unique to this place.

Upon arriving at the estate, he did not return directly to the mansion, but instead made his way to the Small Training Ground.

The Training Ground blazed with light, and his youngest son, Lepon Robert, along with the swordsmen who followed him, were honing their blade techniques while drenched in sweat.

“Oh? Father!”

Lepon Robert spotted Derus Robert and came rushing over, sword still in hand.

“What brings you here?”
“I came because I forgot something.”

Derus Robert smiled gently and snapped his fingers. A blue rift tore open in the air, and from within it emerged an elegant crimson blade.

“I forgot your birthday gift. I apologize for the delay.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly…!”

Yet Lepon Robert’s eyes never left the crimson sword, his words belying his true feelings.

“You should have a proper blade of your own now.”

Derus smiled as he handed the red sword to Lepon Robert.

“Thank you!”

Lepon Robert beamed with joy and embraced Derus.

“That’s right. Let me hold you close while you’re still small.”

Derus smiled warmly in return, pulling his son deeper into his embrace. His gloved hand, stroking his son’s back, remained pristine.

*

*

*

After composing myself, I approached Denzel.

“Raon?”
“It’s all finished.”
“Pardon?”

Denzel tilted his head in confusion.

“He came and went already.”
“Ah, when….”

He blinked, apparently having not even noticed Derus standing in front of the factory.

“He inspected the entire factory before leaving. I thought he’d have an outburst, but he simply vanished quietly.”

I exhaled deeply and lowered my head.

“I apologize. The plan went awry.”
“No, no. Since no one died, it’s actually fortunate.”

Denzel waved his hand dismissively.

“So this place is safe now?”
“Yes. It should be fine.”

I nodded while gazing at Capoli Village and Bayon Lake. Seeing how Derus Robert had departed, it seemed unlikely that the demonic forces would extend their reach to this village again.

“Please call the villagers back.”
“Finally, I’ll be free from that Village Chief’s endless chatter. What a relief.”

Denzel smiled, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“You’ve worked hard.”

I chuckled lightly, recalling Village Chief Berurik, who had been both emotional and talkative.

“We’ll continue tracking based on the information those creatures left behind. What will you do, Raon?”
“Where are the Gwangpung Corps and Aris Zigheart right now?”

Rather than answer immediately, I posed a question instead.

“The Gwangpung Corps is returning to Zigheart, and Aris Zigheart is already there.”

Denzel, as if he had already investigated, provided their locations without hesitation.

“Then I should head back as well. Home.”

I exhaled softly while gazing northward.

-Ohhh!

Wrath, who had been scowling over the reward, sprang to his feet.

-Food! Food at last! Finally, sweetness returns to the True Demon King’s tongue after enduring nothing but the foul taste of that cursed bread….
‘Please, just let me have some peace….’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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